


between the lines

by speirs (orphan_account)



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/810079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/speirs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor finds Loki's diary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	between the lines

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a link for those of you who prefer to read on Livejournal: http://erintastic.livejournal.com/1525.html :)

Thor was at the movies when his phone suddenly started blaring out siren noise made by a drunken Volstagg. (He made a mental note to change his ringtone and also murder the idiot later.) He cursed at his phone and mumbled apologies to the people shooting dirty looks at him as he ran out of the theater, rapidly pressing down on the End Call button.  
  
When he finally made it outside to the parking lot, he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket to check who had called him.  _Blocked number_ , read the Caller ID. Thor was about to throw his phone to the ground in annoyance when it rang again. He answered immediately.  
  
"Hello?" he yelled a little angrily into the mic. There was a long pause filled with static.  
  
"Thor," said the voice on the other line.  
  
His annoyance dissipated. He knew this voice; it belonged to—  
  
"Loki," he breathed.  
  
It had been three weeks and two days since Thor had last spoken to his adopted brother, three weeks since Loki had left.  
  
"Why didn't you pick up the first time I called?"  
  
"Why didn't you pick up any of the times I called you this past month?" Thor retorted.  
  
There was no reply.  
  
"And where are you? Why are you calling now?"  
  
Loki ignored him.  
  
"I need you to go into my old room and get my flash drive, brother. I'll be there to pick it up in an hour."  
  
"Why? Are you coming back to stay?" asked Thor.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
He hung up.  
  
Thor listened to the end-of-call beeps for a moment before sending a quick message to Fandral saying he couldn't stay for the rest of the movie. Then, he got into his car.  
  
  
  
  
By the time he arrived home, he had less than thirty minutes to find Loki's flash drive. He opened the door to the now-abandoned room where Loki used to live and turned on the lights. Everything was just as he had left it.  
  
Thor started searching through the desk drawers, then the closet, and then the nightstands, but only found old junk and candy wrappers. (Loki had taken everything important with him.)  
  
It was now nine-fifty. He would see Loki again in ten minutes.  
  
Thor moved towards the bed and lifted up the blankets (which smelled a lot like Loki and a little bit of himself) to find nothing. He was running out of places to look. He went down on his knees and stuck his hand underneath the bed. Something brushed against his arm. He grabbed it and pulled it out.  
  
It was a worn-out notebook Thor saw Loki write in sometimes when he wasn't in a good mood. He brushed off some dust and opened it.  
  
Many of the pages were evidently torn out, and most of the ones that remained were scribbled over. He flipped through them, trying to make out Loki's faded handwriting.  
  
The first one read:

_You got angry with me for stealing some of your money today. I'm sorry. I needed it._

 

He turned the page.

 

_I got the bruise on my cheek from a fight I had with some guys in a bar. I told you I ran into the bookshelf downstairs because I'd rather lie than have you worry._

  
Another page.

_You kissed me today, and I kissed back. You were drunk, but I wasn't._

 

Then he realized these entries were about him because he remembered all of them: the stealing, the bruise, the kiss—how could he  _not_ remember?

  
_I accidentally saw you having sex with Jane today. She seems like a smart person. She's good for you, better than me._

_I wish you would stop calling me 'brother' when you and I both know we're beyond that._

_You still think I've never had sex with anyone except you, and I really wish that were the truth._

_I made a plan to leave you and your father and Jane and everyone in this city. I'll miss you the most._

With shaky hands, Thor flipped to the last page and read:

  
_I'm terrible and broken and I love you more than you will ever know._

 

He closed the journal. He stared at the floor, breathing hard, replaying Loki's words over and over again in his head. Then all of a sudden, his phone rang. Thor picked it up within seconds.

"Hello?" he said, his voice weaker than he wanted it to be. His heart was racing.

"I'm outside." It was Loki. "Do you have my flash drive?"

"What? Oh, I—no. I can't find it," Thor pushed the journal back under Loki's bed. "Loki..."

"What?"

Thor took a deep breath.

"Why don't you come inside?" He moved to look out the window, where he could see Loki's car sitting in the driveway with its headlights on in the pouring rain. "It's warm here and our— _my_  father's not home."

"No, I'd rather not."

"Please, Loki. I want to see you."

He heard Loki sigh through the phone.

"Okay." The headlights went out and a familiar, skinny figure stepped out of the vehicle. "Only for a few minutes."

The call ended. Thunder roared in the distance as the doorbell rang. Loki was home.


End file.
